By Stephen Smoot
Golf in many ways serves as an individual sport, but with each competitor pursuing in some ways team goals. For Mike Eye, Pendleton County head coach, his goal for each member of his team lies in one defining attribute.
He explained that “golf is a game of misses,” then shared that reducing those misses means “hitting high percentage shots.” Too many golfers want the instant gratification of the big, impossible shot, but don’t understand that Reggie Jackson hit 563 home runs, but is also the all time leader in striking out with just under 2,600.
“That’s the key, consistency,” said Eye, who then added “I preach that to my guys.” With postseason play coming soon, “we need consistency now more than ever.”
With that established as the goal, it should not surprise that the most consistent golfer has also led the team in scoring all season. Dylan Eye, of whom his coach and father said, “has been swinging a club since he was two years old, took a step forward in his mental game.”
Coach Eye stated that “this year what stands out for him, I’ve seen him really mature into what I’d consider to be a smart golfer.” Smart golf, the coach explains, involves approaching a course with a strategic mindset rather than reacting to conditions as they are met. A strategy of combining a realistic estimation of personal skill with the highest percentage of shots possible with that skillset is smart golf.
Of course those physical and mental skills also improve with play and open up more opportunities. Coach Eye related that he has seen strong improvement on both counts from all of his players.
Landon Davis has consistently brought in strong scores and generally places second on the squad in tournaments. Though a freshman, Davis competed with the middle school team in previous years and developed strong fundamentals before moving up to varsity.
Davis, like many of his teammates, “had a rough start,” but for the same reasons. Davis plays baseball and both sports require the player to swing very precisely, but in different ways. “It takes time to get the baseball swing out of them,” noted Eye.
Once Davis got his muscle memory set to golf, however, “he’s caught fire midway through the season.” Coach Eye described him as having “a lot of potential. He’s done really well.”
Next, coach Eye discussed his power hitting seniors, Barrett Cook and Logan Fisher. Cook “has been playing golf for his fourth year” but like Davis, “it was a struggle to get him into golf mode.”
Cook’s senior leadership extends to helping teammates get organized and prepared. “All the kids call Barrett ‘Mother Goose’” because of his efforts.
“Logan is in his second year of golf,” said Coach Eye. “He’s athletic, got a lot of power.” Both Cook and Fisher sometimes need to develop more savvy and channel that strength and power more effectively, their coach observed.
“Power is not always the play,” he said.
Lucas DiFalco has also made strong strides, despite experiencing “ups and downs” this season. He took last season off and has been working this year to strengthen his skillset, but “he’s right on the verge of being in that four spot.”
Hayden Kimble also rose from middle school last year to varsity in 2025. Eye shared that Kimble shows his dedication to developing his game by “putting in a lot of work every single day.” This includes playing rounds outside of practice and matches with former coach and golf enthusiast Charles Burgoyne.
“When I see that, it’s easy for me to tell . . . they’re putting in the work and it shows,” Eye said.
The top six golfers on the year will represent the Pendleton County squad at regionals, held in Canaan Valley next week. They will compete in a regular season event on the same course to prepare for postseason play.
Coach Eye has also been impressed by the golfers who have less experience, but show the dedication and commitment to hard work, developing their talents.
He said of Kolby Kimble, a freshman, that he has “one of the best short games I’ve seen from a first-year golfer.” He joined late but “shows a lot of potential” and is “another guy with a lot of power.”
“I’ve watched Jax consistently improve over the past two years,” said Eye of sophomore Jax Bennett. “He is motivated and stays positive and energetic regardless of the circumstances.” Eye marked him as “one to watch for over the next couple of seasons.”
“Another freshman that is really showing potential for ball striking” is Blaine Cook. Eye also noted the potential for smart golf from a competitor who “quietly plots his way around the course” and “has a smooth swing that will work in his favor as he matures as a golfer.”
Junior Alex Adams has only a year of competition under his belt, but “has also consistently improved week to week, all while excelling academically and working a part-time job.” Eye described him as “a true sportsman that represents his team very well” due to his unflinching positive and encouraging attitude toward teammates and opponents alike.
Freshman Colton Jackson “has gone from barely being able to hit a golf ball a year ago to hitting 200-yard-plus drives” as he has worked to improve his game over two seasons.
The combination of hard work and natural talent, as well as the obvious love of the game shown by the players, gives Eye strong optimism as the program continues to grow. This season Pendleton County was the best Class A squad in the Potomac Valley Conference, with an Eye (or two) to having a strong regional performance and, hopefully, representation at Wheeling for states.
Eye also expressed appreciation to Fisher Mountain for their continual and consistent support of Pendleton County Middle/High School golf. He shared that the success of the golf program would not have been possible without their embrace of the team.
